There is a general demand for motor vehicle body structures which provide a high degree of safety for the occupants during collisions and other situations involving very high loads due to impact forces acting on the vehicle.
In order to obtain a high degree of safety for the occupants of a vehicle, the body structure of the vehicle must be designed so as to provide a high strength and resistance to impact forces, by absorbing and distributing the impact forces in an effective manner. This is generally achieved by means of various reinforcement structures and components in the vehicle.
In particular, the front bumper system generally includes a bumper beam and crash boxes arranged at the ends of the bumper beam. The crash boxes, in turn, are fixed on longitudinal members of the motor vehicle. In case of head-on collision, crash energy is diverted via the bumper beam to the crash boxes which undergo a deformation to at least in part absorb the crash energy.
Recently-there was a new crash test introduced in the United States replicating what happens when the front corner of a vehicle collides with another vehicle or an object like a tree or utility pole (Small Overlap Rigid Barrier or SORB test).
Small overlap frontal crashes primarily affect a vehicle's outer edges which are not well protected by the front bumper system. Crash forces go directly into the front wheel, suspension system and firewall. It is not uncommon for the wheel to be forced rearward into the footwell, contributing to even more intrusion in the occupant compartment and resulting in serious leg and foot injuries.